Feeder for clover-hullers.



No. 810,937. PATEN TED JAN. 30, 1906 H. GUDERIAN. FEEDER FOR CLOVERHULLERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 0 3

Witnesses No. 810,937. v 4 ""PATBNTED JAN. 30, 1906.

- H. GUDERIAN.

FEEDER FOR GLOVBRHULLBRS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 30, 1904.

2 SHEBTS SHEET 2.

A W Attornegs fifi fi Witbesses 0 Inventor.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FEEDER FOR CLOVER-HULLERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, 1906.

Application filed December 30, 1904. Serial No. 238,997.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGO GUDERIAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Good Thunder, in the county of Blue Earth and State ofMinnesota, have invented a new and useful Feeder for Olover-Hullers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feeders for cloverhullers, and it has amongits objects to simplify and improve the construction and operation ofthis class of devices.

With these and other ends in view, which will readily appear asthe'nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe improved construction and novel arrangement and combination ofparts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

. In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple andpreferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being, however,understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precisestructural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved toany changes, alterations, and modifications to which recourse'may be hadwithin the scope of the invention and without departing from the spiritor sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective vieW of a device constructedin accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is a vertical transversesectional view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectionaldetail View taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by likecharacters of reference.

In carrying this invention into practical operation a casing 1 isprovided, which is preferably rectangular in cross-section and which isprovided at one end with a curved closure 2, the latter being preferablyof sheet metal and reinforced at its upper edge by a transverse brace 3.

The sides of the casing are provided with bearings for a shaft 4, whichis concentric with the curved end piece 2, and upon said shaft areformed a plurality of cranks 5, diverging or radiating in severaldirections. These cranks support a plurality of feed-bars 6, which aremounted pivotally upon said cranks and the opposite or rear ends ofwhich are supported pivotally by links consisting of yokes 7, which arepivotally mounted upon a cross-bar or shaft 8. Said shaft is supportedby means of links 9 9, connected pivotally with the inner sides of thecasing, and one end of said shaft has a depending arm 10, secured adjustably in a clip or clamping device 11 upon the outer side of thecasing and having a handle 12, by means of which it may be convenientlymanipulated.

The sides of the casing are provided at their upper edges with lids 13,which may, but which do not necessarily, extend the entire length of thecasing and which are provided with hook members 14, whereby they may beconnected with the sides of the casing below their upper edges, and thusbe sustained in an open position, as shown in the several figures of thedrawings, so as to form upward extension of the sides of the casing forthe reception of the material which is to be fed.

In thefront end of the casing is fitted afeedboard or gage board 15,provided with cleats 16, which are perforated for the passage of a boltor rod 17, extending through arms 18, whichmay be clamped against theends of the board by tightening said bolts. The arms 18 have slots 19for the passage of binding screws 19*, which engage the side of theeasing with which the arms carrying the gageboard are thus adjustablyconnected. This gage-board may be adjusted to and secured at variousdistances fromthe crank-shaft 4, and consequently from the front ends ofthe feed-bars 6, and it maybe tilted upon the bolt or rod 17 to variousinclined positions. Each of said feed-bars is provided with a pluralityofspikes or barbs 20, which are extended upwardly and forwardly from theupper sides and downwardly and rearwardly from the lower sides of saidfeed-bars. In Fig. 3 of the drawings said spikes have been shown asbeing outwardly'divergent from the bars with which they are connected inorder that the material to be fed may be more effectively acted upon;but it is to be understood that other well-known feeding means, such asserrated sheet-metal plates, commonly known as fish-backs, may, whendesired, be substituted for the spikes herein shown.

Bearings are provided for a transverse shaft 21, carrying at one end aband-wheel 22 or other suitable means for receiving motion from thesource of power. The opposite end of said shaft carries asprocket-pinion 23, which is connected by a chain 24 with a sprocket-Wheel 25 upon the crankshaft 4,

which is thereby driven. A chain-tightening pullqy 26, of ordinaryconstruction, is also provide supporting the device in operativeposition upon the furrow to which material is to' be fed.

In operation the material which is to be operated upon is disposed uponthe upper sides of the feed-bars 6, to which areciprocatory andoscillatory movement is imparted by the crank-shaft, which is rotated inthe direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The frontends of the feed-bars are provided upon their upper and under sides withhook members 28 29, which are curved, respectively, upwardly anddownwardly in the direction of the gage-board 17. The material will befed by the spikes upon the upper sides of the feed-bars in a forwarddirection and will be carried by the hook members 28 under the loweredge of the feedboard and downwardly along the curved end member 2,which, as described, is concentric with the shaft 4. When the materialreaches the bottom of the casing, it will be operated upon and fed in arearward direction by the spikes or feed members upon the under sides ofthe feed-bars and will pass through the opening in the rear end of thecasing to the huller. It will thus be seen that the material will becompelled to pass entirely around the front ends of the feed-bars andthe entire length of the under sides of said feed-bars before it isdelivered at the rear end of the casing. Consequently said material,which is usually in a moreor less tangled and matted condition, will betorn asunder and will be presented to the huller in excellent conditionto be acted upon by the threshing-cylinder and concave. Moreover, thequantity of material fed may be quickly and accurately regulated bysimply adjusting the gageboard 17 By moving the latter in the directionof the crank-shaft the throat or passage for material from the uppersides of the feed-bars will be diminished and a less quantity willconsequently be fed, thus avoiding any possibility of slugging thehuller. When the material to be fed is in good condition, the feed-boardor gage-board may be retracted and the feed be properly regulated.

As will be readily seen, this improved device is extremely simple inconstruction, and it has been practically proven to be very eflicient inoperation. The device need occupy but little space, inasmuch as, owingto the fact that all material is compelled to pass through the entirelength of the casing, comparatively short feed-bars may be employed withexcellent results.

The position of the rear ends of the feedbars may be very quickly andeasily adjusted by simply raising and lowering the supporting-shaft 8,which may be accomplished by properly adjusting the depending arm 10 ofsaid supporting-shaft in the clip or clamping device 11. Thesupporting-shaft S will be sufficiently supported by said clampingdevice in connection with the links 9, inasmuch as no great rigidity isnecessary or desirable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a feeder,a plurality of feed-bars supported for reciprocation and oscillation,feed members upon the upper sides of said bars for feeding material inone direction over the ends of the bars, feed members upon the undersides of said bars for feeding material in the opposite direction, andmeans, including a curved member, forming a closure at the front end ofthe casing and constituting guiding and supporting means for thematerial operated upon. 2. In a feeder, a casing having a curved endpiece, a shaft concentric with said end piece and having a plurality ofcranks, feedbars supported pivotally upon said cranks, links pivotallysupporting the opposite ends of the feed-bars, feed members connectedwith the upper sides of the feed-bars for feeding material in thedirection of the curved end piece, and means connected with the undersides of the feed-bar for feeding material in the opposite direction.

3. In a feeder, a casing open at one end and having a curved end pieceat the opposite end, a shaft approximately concentric with said curvedend piece and having a plurality of cranks, feed-bars connectedpivotally with said cranks, supporting means for the opposite ends ofsaid feed-bars, feed members upon the upper sides of the feedbars forfeeding material in the direction of the curved end piece, feed membersupon the under sides of the feed-bars for feeding material in theopposite direction, and a gageboard supported adjustably with relationto the crank-supported ends of the feed-bars.

4. In a device'of the class described, a casing, feed members movablysupported in said casing for the reception and support of the materialto be fed and for conveying said material in one direction over the endsof said feed members, a pair of longitudinally-slotted arms connectedadjustably with and extending above the casing, and a gage-boardsupported pivotally between said arms and adjustable thereby withrelation to the ends of ghe feed members over which the material is ed.

5. In a feeder, a casing, a plurality of feed members supported forreciprocation and oscillation and constituting supporting means for thematerial to be operated upon, means connected with said feed members forfeeding material in one direction over the ends of said feed members, agate or gage board suported by the casing and adjustable with reation tothe ends of the feed members over which material is fed, and meansconnected with the under sides of the feed members for engaging thematerial fed over the ends of the latter and for moving said materialover the bottom of the casing in the direction of the discharge end ofthe latter.

6. In a feeder, a casing open at one end and having a curved end pieceat the opposite end, a shaft approximately concentric with said curvedend piece and having a plurality of cranks, feed-bars connectedpivotally with said cranks, hangers constituting I 5 supporting meansfor the opposite ends of said feed-bars, and curved hook members uponsaid feed-bars extended upwardly and downwardly in the direction of thecurved end piece of the casing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HUGO GUDERIAN.

